Cost Models and Cost Factors in Freight Transportation (A Literature Review)

The paper presents a detailed comparative review of cost models and cost factors published in a number of studies on freight transportation. It attempts to determine and categorize cost factors from different point of views in the viewed studies. This category includes modes of freight transportation (road, rail, air and waterway modes), costs factors (operational costs, value of time and external costs), study area (Europe, the United States, North America, Australia and Asia) and cost models (based on activities (ABS), statistical models, survayes, data mining, GIS and meta-analysis). The results are assessed by comparison with the reviewed studies. The paper concludes with several recommendations about different methodologies and their needs assessment.

کلیدواژه ها:

Freight transport ، cost factors ، cost models ، logistics